Haunted Thoughts
by Sako Akarui
Summary: A quick little story I did for a contest, Draco/Cho


Disclaimer: I do not own Draco, or Cho...or anything HP related. That all belongs to the wonderful JK Rowling...unless WB owns it...it's one of those two, but it's not me!  
  
Haunted Thoughts  
  
Draco was in a rotten mood again. It had only been a week into his fifth year in Hogwarts, and already that chump Gryffindor, Potter, was showing him up. And they made him a Prefect to top it off. Draco had no real want of the position, but the fact that they gave it to Potter and not even offered it to him infuriated the Slytherin. He had to do something, get his anger out. And talking didn't seem like much help at this point. Thats why he was stomping out towards the Quidditch Pitch, his Nimbus 2001 in his hand.  
  
But Draco wasn't alone at the Quidditch Pitch. Some other girl was flying about, on a Comet Two Sixty. He sneered at the pathetic broom, before mounting his own. He'd just ignore her; it wasn't as if she really mattered.  
  
After flying around a couple times, and after he started to cool off, Draco felt a pair of eyes on him. He turned to see the girl just staring at him. She was still flying (nowhere near his speed, of course) but her eyes stayed glued up towards him. And she looked...sad? He shook himself mentally and focused in front of him, pushing his broom to go faster. What did he care for some girl? She wasn't even a Slytherin, she was in Ravenclaw. True, of the other three houses that had to be the best, but it wasn't Slytherin. But her staring didn't affect him, he tried to assure himself.  
  
Soon, though, he found it harder to ignore. He kept on glancing back, to see if she was still watching. And she always was. Wasn't she that Ravenclaw seeker? Yeah, now that he looked again, it looked like her. That settled it, she was just trying to see her competition, not...anything else. Nonetheless, Draco landed and dismounted, walking from the Quidditch Pitch. He could fly later, alone. He didn't know it, but it was one of the first times in a while when he wasn't thinking about ruining the lives of some particular Gryffindors.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Cho had been trying to escape too. She felt so lonesome nowadays. And flying, well, that was one of the things she still liked. Her Quidditch skills had fallen, but her flying skills were still the same, or better. She was always out on her broom, feeling the wind in her hair. It was comforting.   
  
She had noticed the blonde boy instantly. His hair really stood out. She wondered if anyone ever told him that; she guessed not. He looked awfully upset about something. He looked up at her, sneered at her broom, and took off, showing her his speed. She just decided to ignore him. Cho was here to fly, not to watch some rich Slytherin show off his broom, even if he was competition.  
  
After he started to ignore her completely, she noticed something...something about the way he flew. He was completely confident in his flying ability; his form showed how high he thought his flying was (no pun really intended). Normally, she would've thought him just an arrogant jerk, but Cedric...he'd been the same. He was sweet and kind off the field, but when he was on that broom, there was nothing you could do to convince him he wasn't the best, really. It was just the way he flew, and he'd never admit it or say anything, but it was always there. And she saw it in this Slytherin's flying.  
  
He started to look back at her, a little angry but mostly confused. It wasn't until he finally landed and left in a huff that she realized she'd been staring at him. Cho'd been doing that a lot, staring without realizing it, but normally she didn't stare at people...she hoped he hadn't gotten any ideas. Like that she might actually be interested in him. It was absurd. He was a year younger, a snob, and the most important: a Slytherin. The idea was insane...  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Draco was trying to do his homework, he really was. He just couldn't concentrate. He'd try to think about Sweeping Jinxes, and he'd see the same sad, brown eyes. He sighed and rested his head in his arms. He didn't like what was going on. She was a stupid girl, really. Why was she on his thoughts?  
  
Everytime she was in the halls she glowed, now. If she was there, Draco saw her. It started to annoy him. She was always there, surrounded by girls, all laughing of course, and her with her somber expression. Couldn't she just cheer up and stop tormenting his thoughts?  
  
And everytime he tried to fly, she was there. He'd normally turn and leave before she could start staring at him again. But he couldn't ignore flying for too long. If he didn't practice up, he might lose to Potter, and he would never let that happen. He just conceded to fly with her there; after all, she didn't matter to him.  
  
Draco started checking over his shoulder. Was she watching him again? No, she wasn't... He kept turning, watching for longer and turning back more frequently until HE was the one staring now.  
  
She was a pretty girl... She was asian, and not too tall, but her black hair fell around her shoulders and swept back so nicely... Draco felt a tinge of pink go to his cheeks as she looked up at him. He turned back to his flying. Why had he been the one staring?!  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Cho felt the heat rise to her face too. Had he been staring at her? Why? Had he gotten the wrong impression, back when she had stared at him? She hadn't meant to. And it had been a while. Did he still remember that? She had, of course. But she was sure he would've forgotten.  
  
Cho had been curious about him, ever since that first day. She'd only known him by sight and rumours. Now she watched him in the halls, when he didn't know she was there, mostly. And he acted rather cruelly to some of those Gryffindors. Cho couldn't believe that he would say some of those things. And she'd been staring at him, of all people! She couldn't have picked a worse person to zone out on, even if she tried! But now, now he'd been staring at her. It was the first time she hadn't seen him with a superior look, and she felt off balance now. Cho had no idea what to think, except that she didn't want some new guy in her life. What about Cedric? It had only been a couple months ago, when she had seen him, and laughed with him, and held him...  
  
She felt more lost than ever now, as her eyes filled with tears in the Quidditch Pitch. Luckily, Malfoy had chosen that time to leave, and didn't see her land, wiping tears off of her face.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
For weeks Draco couldn't keep his thoughts off of her for too long. Quidditch had started, so he didn't need to try and fly on his own as much, but if he ever did he'd be sure to see her there. And sometimes he saw her watching him in the halls. Everytime she ever laid eyes on him, she seemed to get sadder. Had he done anything? No, of course not. He would know. But her brown eyes seemed to fill up with tears everytime, and soon it was all he could do to stop himself from crying out to help her.  
  
It really had grown to be an obsession in him. Draco never noticed it; it had been so subtle. But he would search for her face at mealtimes, and her figure when he would see the Quidditch Pitch from a castle window. But the apex had been the one incident in the hall.  
  
Cho had been carrying more books than she could really hold. All of her friends were talking, laughing, and some older Slytherin walked right into her, the books flying everywhere. The Slytherin took no notice, and kept walking, but Draco stepped forward. He had seen the whole thing, and before he knew what he was doing, he was helping her pick them up. He handed her a worn Charms book when he finally realized what he'd done. His cheeks colored slightly before he turned and started to walk off.  
  
Cho was shocked. Malfoy? Help someone in the halls? It was amazing...a miracle to say the least. Her friends were all heading off in the other direction, to get a book someone left in their common room, but Cho said she'd see them in class before rushing off to catch up with Malfoy.  
  
"Malfoy! I...er...I wanted, to thank you," Cho said, a little shyly.  
  
"Oh, I...it was nothing," Draco replied quietly. He turned away from her, feeling awkward. He shouldn't have done that. Back in the halls. He should've just left her to pick up her own books. But, no, he had to help... He sensed that Cho was stopping, falling back and turning to rejoin her friends after all, when he stopped and turned to her.  
  
"Do...Do you have Charms next?" She turned back to look at him, wondering why he'd ask.  
  
"Well, yes, I do..."  
  
"Well, I'm going to Transfiguration," he started, holding up his book. "It's on the way, and well, if you wanted someone to walk with..." Draco trailed off, unsure of where he was going. His mouth was just talking, he wasn't sure why, but seeing as his adrenline was pumping and sweat was starting to wet his forehead, he thought it best just to go with it.  
  
Cho was taken aback. Walk with her?   
  
"Sure, Draco." She smiled, the first time in while, as they matched strides and walked through the halls. She was surprised he didn't yell at her for using his first name. He seemed the type that would do that. But Draco was just happy she wasn't sad. Or angry. It wasn't him making her upset. He smiled up at her, hoping she might stay a bit more cheerful. Every one of her sad looks haunted him, but her smiles, now that he'd seen one, made everything seem alright. 


End file.
